Discharging device for envelop-machines.



F. L. SCHMIDT. Y DISGHARGING. DEVICE FOR ENVELOP MAGHINES. APPLIUATIOE FILED JUNE 20, 1907.

956,736. 7 Patented vM 41910.y

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/KAPKPLIOA'TIQN FILED JUNI.' zo, 1907.

956,736. Patented May 3, 1910.

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F. L. SCHMIDT. DISUHARGING DEVICE FOR ENYEL-P MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1907..

956,736. Patented May 3, 1910.

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FERDINAND L.

SCHMIDT, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

DISGHARGING DEVICE FOR ENVELOP-MAOHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Application filed .Tune 20, 1907. Serial No. 379,870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND L.

` SCHMIDT, citizen of the United States, and

resident of New York, in the county o-f New York and. State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Discharging Devices for Envelop-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for dischar 'ng nished envelops from the platen of tle flap-folding mechanism of an envelop machine, and has for its object to provide for quick and positive discharge of the folded envelops under all conditions of use of the machine regardless of frictional or atmospheric influences, whereby choking lo r clogging of the folding mechanism by discharging envelops is obviated and particularly when the envelop machine is operated at the highest practicable speed.

The invention comprises novel envelop discharging devices having one or more fingers referably held to one of the envelop flapffolers and giving the folded envelop an initial `discharging impulse carrying it marginally clear of corresponding marginal walls of the flap-foldin devices and preferably also positively' ischarging the envelop edgewise from the platen upon which it was folded by coacting plunger and folder mechanism. The invention also includes variousdetails of construction o-f the envelop discharging devices promoting their eflicient operation; all as hereinafter-,described and claimed. A

Reference is made toy the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in .which-f Figure 1 isa partly broken-,out vertical transverse section of portions of an envelop machine embodying the invention and with the iiap folders shown quite fully open as when vgivingthe first fold to the envelop blank. Fig. 2 is a plan view lwith, the plunger removed and showing the folders closlngas when` giving, the second or nal fold to the envelop flaps and with the discharging dirigere/advanced about half-way prepara,- .tory to acting upon the folded envelop;

,and Fig. .3 isa broken-out vvertical transverse section vshowing the lingers .acting to .finally discharge the nished envelo The.machine frame lhasfatop d-plate 2l formed with-an opening 3 accommodating the usual tilting frame 4 whichis pivptedat 5 to the bedlate and carries an adjustable platen 6 wit which coact a plunger 7, a wide nap-folder 8, opposite end flap-folders 9, 9, and a shorter sealing-flap folder 10; all of said folders being pivoted in bearings on the bed-plate in any approved manner. Rods 11, 12, 12, respectively couple the folders 3, 9, 9, to the usual or any approved mechanism adapted to4 turn these folders from the vertical positions shown in Fig. 1, to the approximately horizontal positions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. To the shaft 13 of the short sealing-flap folder 10 is fixed a toothed wheel or `pinion 14 which 1s normally engaged by the teeth of a rackbar 15 which is held to the pinion by 'an overlying flanged guard 16 held to the shaft 18. The outer end of the rack 15 is pivoted to one arm of an elbow lever 17 which is fulcrumed at 18 to the machine frame 1 and,

is rocked in properly timed relation to the tilting or yielding of the frame and platen 1*(5, with which the plunger 7 and all four flap-folders coact for folding thefiaps of the envelop blank. Motion may be imparted to the tilting frame 4 and its platen 6 by any suitable mechanism such as a rod 19 coupled to an arm 2O hung on a shaft 21 journaled 1n the frame 1 and carrying an anti-friction roller` 22 upon which acts a cam 23 iiXed to a driving shaft 24 of the envelop machine.

A rod 25 couples the short'arm of the elbow i lever 17 with another ar'm 26hung on the shaft 21 and carrying'a roller 27 acted upon by a cam 28,0n the shaft 24 for operating the flap-folder ,10.*

As thus far described in detail the envelop machine is substantially similar in structure and operation to prior machines of this class having a tilting or yielding platen, an opposing plunger and a series of pivoted nap-folders. In these prior machines it is customary to employ one or more laterally movable so-called discharge-hooks arranged near the hinged edge of the platen for striking and ositively` discharging the -folded envelop e vgewise from the lowered yplaten after the envelop has gravitally dro ped from those'4 marginal arts ofthe fol ers which correond 1n out ine with the margin ofthe v folde is not always ,quick and certain and atmospheric conditions at times induce air vcurrents-which impede disehargeyof the fully y envelop. This gravital release of thezenvelop from the folding flaps folded envelope which are liable to be caught by the retracting platen and thus choke or stop the machine and entail loss of time and waste of envelop material. These disadvantages are quite fully obviated by this in vention which provides for giving the folded envelope an initial discharging impulse carrying them marginally clear of corresponding marginal walls of the flap-folding de vices and preferably also provides for giv ing positive edgewise nal discharging movement to the folded envelop.

In a preferred adaptation of the inventionV one or more fingers are attached to one of the envelop flap-holders or to the folder shaft; two lingers 29, 30, being shown fixed to the sealing flap-folder 10 and projecting laterally therefrom so as to reciprocate in a half-circle are and` through the bed-plate opening 3. These discharging fingers 29, 30, also preferably move through slots 31, provided in the, end folding flaps 9, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The fingers 29, 30 are shown as round wires but they may have narrow plate or other suitable form and they also may have rubber or leather tips, such as indicatedattO, to increase their frictional hold on the envelop they finally discharge from the tilted platen 6'.

In operation, an envelop blank is fed horizontally by any suitable devices between the fully raised plunger 7 and the folders 8, 9, 10, which with the fingers 29, 30, then have the raised positions shown in Fig. l of the drawings. The plunger now descends to carry the blank to the raised platen 6' and down between the raised folders 8, 9, 10, which gives the first fold to all four flaps of the 4envelop blank. The plunger now rises clear of the flap folders which then swing forward on their pivots to give the nal fold tothe flaps, and the ngers 29,V 30,;-swing downward and through the slots 3l of the folders 9 and strike the fully folded en.- velop about as the frame and platen 4-6 begin to. yield or swing downward on their pivots 5. The fingers 29, 30, strike the folded envelop in thedirection of' motion of the plunger, or about at right angles to the face of the envelop as will be understood from Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, and positively force the envelop downward from the under face of the folders, to which it may possibly have a Vtendency to cling by' reason of air pressure or by adhesion caused by accidental presence of gum or other adhesive on the folders, and also forceit from the marginal walls of lower parts of the folders, which are.

or may be in frictional contact. with the margin of the. envelop.. As the. `laten 6 the folded and novir freed enve op upon it continues its downward tilting movement the. fui-gers 29 3,0E follow the envelop as shown 1n Fig-"3" ofa the drawings, and prefy blank to be folded and discharged in man- 'from the folders and discharge the same erably continue their hold upon the envelop until the platen G approaches the limit of its downward movement when the fingers 29, 30, reach the limit of their rotative move,- ment and positively discharge the envelop edgewise from the tilted platen. The fingers are retracted in time to pass above the platen 6, and the parts again assume relative positions permitting feeding of the next envelop ner above described.

It is obvious that the ordinary dischargehooks hereinbef'ore mentioned may be used with and supplementary to the 4discharging fingers 29, 30, which in that ease'may be shorter so as to act only' to give the initial discharging impulse to the fully folded envelop, or these fingers 29', 30, may have tlie full length shown in order first to give the margin-freeing impulse to the folded envelop and then co-aet with the said oldstyle' discharge-hooks for positively discharging the envelop from the platen 6, or from any equivalent yielding support.

Various modifications of the envelop discharging mechanism of this invention may be made, and said novel mechanism may be used with variously constructed and differently operated `envelop liapfolding devices, within the scope of one or more of the appended claims.

I claim as by invention.

1. The combination of a movable platen andenvelop flapl folders, of a discharging device carried by one of said fla folders and operating inthe direction of discharge of the envelop to insu-re the detachment of the envelop from said folders and discharge the same from said platen.

2. The combination of a movablfetilting platen and envelop f-apfolders,I of' a discharging device fastened on one of said fla' folders and ope-rated positively by the oscif lation of' said flap folder to engage with and insure the detachment of the envelopI from 110 said. folders and discharge the same from said platen.

3. The combination with a tilting platen and envelop flap folders provided with slots, of envelop discharging' devices carried by 115 and moving with one of' said folders, said devices adapted to pass through sai-d slots and insure detachment of.' the envelop; from the folders and dischargel the same from the platen.

et. The combination with a tiltingplaten and envelop liap folders, one'of said folders having capacityv of movement inV excess; of that necessary to fold the envelop flap of f 'envelo discharge fingers rigidly attached 125 to sai folder and movable in the direction ofthedischarge oaf-the 'envelop and operating-to insure detachment of the) envelop the paas. "ein 5. 'The combination of a movable platen Signed at New York, in. the county of and envelop flap folders, of a discharging New York, and State of New York, this device Comprising fingers fixed on one of 15th day of June A. D. 1907. said flap folders and movable therewith in FERDINAND L. SCHMIDT.

5 the direction ofthe discharge, Said diseherg- Witnesses:

ing device adapted to engage said envelop CHAS. F. DANE, and force it from the platen. MAY E. STANTON. 

